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Thursday, June 23, 2016

Case of the Day: He Nam You v. Hirohito, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80699 (N.D. Cal. June 21, 2016)

Summary:

Surviving "Comfort Women," i.e. Korean women who were abducted by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and used as sex slaves, sued for defamation a Japanese newspaper that claimed the Comfort Women volunteered for their post.

The court found that it lacked jurisdiction over the Japanese newspaper, as it conducts de minimis business in the United States.

Takeaway:

The court put it perfectly in its concluding remarks: "The Court acknowledges that our plaintiffs have suffered regrettable and horrific acts . . . The law simply does not permit this Court to serve as a forum for the adjudication of their claims." My thoughts exactly.

Also an interesting note: the Japanese newspaper only had 88 paid subscribers in the entire United States. I would have expected the number to be low, but I am still surprised that the number does not even crack double digits.